Review: The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

As my journey into children's literature begins, I was compelled to begin with one of my favorite children's books of all time, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter. Pictured to the left is the copy I have had since childhood (circa 1970's). There is no publishing date inside.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Potter, B. (1902). The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Frederick Warne & Co, LTD. ISBN 0723206155

PLOT SUMMARY:

Peter and his sisters are sent out to play and warned to stay away from Mr. McGregor’s garden. Peter disobeys and enters the garden to stuff himself with yummy vegetables. Now stuffed and with a tummy ache, Peter searches for some parsley and ends up on the run from Mr. McGregor! During the chase, Peter ends up losing his coat and shoes and being cold and wet from hiding in a watering can. He eventually escapes, runs home, and goes to bed with an upset tummy and just chamomile tea for supper.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Ms. Potter’s use of personified bunnies in her story draws children in through their natural love of animals. Ms. Potter uses a detached voice, narrating the story with a descriptive manner using some terms that children might not understand but for the beautiful watercolor illustrations on each page. Ms. Potter’s illustrations are iconic and works of art on their own. With the level of detail, they could tell the story even without the words on the opposing page. She also uses some onomatopoeia such as “Kertyschoo!” for a sneeze, or “lippity” to represent a tentative hop. I love that while this book’s theme is that of a child misbehaving and the natural consequences of misbehaving, Ms. Potter is not preachy or heavy handed in portraying that theme, but rather lets the story do the work. 

Set mostly in Mr. McGregor’s garden, this story transcends time as this could happen to any misbehaving young bunny, in any time, in any garden. Peter misbehaves just as any young boy is wont to and his misadventure into Mr. McGregor’s garden keeps the reader riveted throughout, hoping that Peter escapes. While Mr. McGregor is depicted as the aggressor having put Peter’s father in a pie for having trespassed into his garden, I believe all gardeners/farmers would feel represented in Mr. McGregor’s frustration with his veggies being eaten by trespassing animals. Ms. Potter resolves the story with Peter returning home safe but leaves the story open for continuation by illustrating Peter’s jacket and shoes being used as a scarecrow in the garden. What self-respecting young misbehaving boy wouldn’t want to get his clothing back when it is being displayed in such a way?

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

5 stars from Common Sense Media: “This first story by Beatrix Potter is one of her best. Everyone wants to explore forbidden things, and Peter Rabbit is no different. He sneaks into the garden, and Mr. McGregor chases him until he is quite frightened. Peter Rabbit misses dessert and learns his lesson, yet the tone is not didactic, and his mother is caring.”

Booklist review: “Undoubtedly one of the most famous books for children, this enduring classic has been reprinted more than 100 times …” 

CONNECTIONS:

*Talk about exploring and getting into trouble. Where can you explore safely and where do your parents say you must not go? Do you think Peter learned his lesson after he went into the garden?

*Read other books that continue Peter’s story:

Potter, B. (1904). The Tale of Benjamin Bunny. Frederick Warne & Co, LTD. ISBN 0723205957

Potter, B. (1912) The Tale of Mr. Tod. Frederick Warne & Co, LTD. ISBN 0723206058